# So how many Republicans are secretly praying that Trump will be disqualified? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [January 7, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745 "2024-01-07T20:22:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/61 "2024-01-09T06:35:06Z")
Given that Trump supporters seem to live in a bubble, where everybody they know, plans to vote for Trump; I wonder how many actually will. It’s one thing to talk in the break room, the corner bar, and in the college caf about how Trump is the only possible choice, and anybody else is just blowing smoke; but that’s in public. When the rubber meets the road, and it’s just one voter in a private booth, faced with “DeSantis, Haley, Trump,” on a ballot, that voter who talks Trump up in the break room, just might choose someone who is not Trump. Oh, of course, they’ll say otherwise later. “I voted for Trump, naturally. It was those RINOs who caused Haley to win.” Meanwhile, they voted for Haley. But they won’t admit it; they’re Trump all the way, Trump yeah, Trump always. So they say in _public_. But in _secret_, they voted for Haley. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/62 "2024-01-09T11:00:08Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Oh, of course, they’ll say otherwise later. “I voted for Trump, naturally. It was those RINOs who caused Haley to win.” Meanwhile, they voted for Haley. But they won’t admit it; they’re Trump all the way, Trump yeah, Trump always. So they say in _public_. But in _secret_, they voted for Haley. That could explain the 2016 Iowa caucuses—Trump led in the polls, then lost to Cruz. (And damn the bad luck, turns out that was rigged, too, according to Trump. That poor bastard can’t catch a break.) ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/63 "2024-01-09T14:28:20Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > That could explain the 2016 Iowa caucuses—Trump led in the polls, then lost to Cruz. (And damn the bad luck, turns out that was rigged, too, according to Trump. That poor bastard can’t catch a break.) The Iowa caucuses are one of the few state nominating conventions where I’ll concede the results often _are_ rigged – or at least gamed because the process is so opaque. They should be burned to the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/64 "2024-01-09T15:08:51Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > It was the nihilist vote that put Trump over the top in 2016. A ballot disqualification or a conviction will just energize that lot. Winning a presidential election with a write-in campaign for someone they are told they can’t vote for is just the kind of challenge that turns those people on. Unless they are voting more than once, or getting new voters to vote because of this, it doesn’t matter. They were already voting for Trump anyway. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/65 "2024-01-09T21:23:56Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > The Iowa caucuses are one of the few state nominating conventions where I’ll concede the results often _are_ rigged – or at least gamed because the process is so opaque. They should be burned to the ground. I concur. Caucuses are anti-democratic. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/66 "2024-01-09T23:02:24Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Caucuses are anti-democratic. anti-democratic or uber-democratic? 😉 > "What I was going to say,” said the Dodo in an offended tone, “was, that the best thing to get us dry would be a Caucus-race.” > > “What is a Caucus-race?” said Alice; not that she wanted much to know, but the Dodo had paused as if it thought that somebody ought to speak, and no one else seemed inclined to say anything. > > “Why,” said the Dodo, “the best way to explain it is to do it.” (And, as you might like to try the thing yourself, some winter day, I will tell you how the Dodo managed it.) > > First it marked out a race-course, in a sort of circle, (“the exact shape doesn’t matter,” it said,) and then all the party were placed along the course, here and there. There was no “One, two, three, and away,” but they began running when they liked, and left off when they liked, so that it was not easy to know when the race was over. However, when they had been running half an hour or so, and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out “The race is over!” and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking, “But who has won?” > > This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it sat for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead (the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in the pictures of him), while the rest waited in silence. At last the Dodo said, “Everybody has won, and all must have prizes.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/67 "2024-01-17T16:26:36Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Oh, of course, they’ll say otherwise later. “I voted for Trump, naturally. It was those RINOs who caused Haley to win.” Meanwhile, they voted for Haley. But they won’t admit it; they’re Trump all the way, Trump yeah, Trump always. So they say in _public_. But in _secret_, they voted for Haley. Haley’s problem is that the Republicans are expecting Democrats to elect her. The white men who form the base of the Republican party want to vote for a white man. So they’ll vote for Trump, or if need be, DeSantis. They have this imaginary plan that Democrats will vote for a minority women, regardless of what party she belongs to. This is projection of their own prejudices; they figure Republicans vote for white men so Democrats must vote against white men (and right wing media feeds this delusion). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/68 "2024-01-17T16:55:05Z")
More succinctly: > She’s a face only Democrats could love espousing policies only a reactionary rightist could love. Which is a very odd and ineffectual way to attract centrists in a country with no centrists. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/69 "2024-01-17T17:31:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Haley’s problem is that the Republicans are expecting Democrats to elect her. If that’s the case, what she fails to understand, like most Republicans, is that most Democrats base their decisions on critical thinking **plus** the state of the world beyond their own noses and immediate, selfish needs. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/70 "2024-01-17T17:38:35Z")
Honestly, with all the Bernie Bros sitting it out in 2016, I’d agree with the ‘most’ but it is by no means ‘all.’ Let us hope it is ‘enough.’ ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/71 "2024-01-17T17:57:23Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I mean, Republicans were the first to float the idea that Trump was disqualified, and have been involved in so much of this. So, yeah, I’m sure they want him gone. The Trump/Russia investigations were also initiated and largely performed by Republicans - a fact that was generally overlooked by near everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/72 "2024-01-17T18:02:12Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The Trump/Russia investigations were also initiated and largely performed by Republicans - a fact that was generally overlooked by near everyone. Are you taking about the Durham investigation into whether the FBI was illegally harassing Trump by looking into his ties with Russia? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/73 "2024-01-17T18:41:54Z")
No, I’m talking about the House intelligence investigation under Devin Nunes: > **[Dems cry WH interference as House Intel committee probes Trump-Russia ties](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-intel-white-house-interference-nunes/)** > > House Intelligence chairman Devin Nunes says “We just cannot go on a witch hunt,” The Senate investigation under Richard Burr: > **[Senate Intelligence Committee Leaders Vow Thorough Russian Investigation...](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/us/politics/senate-intelligence-committee-burr-warner-russia-investigation.html)** > > The top Republican and Democrat on the committee pledged to forge ahead, while seeking to distance themselves from the troubled House inquiry. The other Senate investigation under Lindsey Graham: > **[Location Change: Russian Interference in the 2016 United States Election |...](https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-activity/hearings/russian-interference-in-the-2016-united-states-election)** > > United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Trump appointee Rod Rosenstein’s investigation: > **[Republicans jump on special prosecutor bandwagon](https://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/17/special-prosecutor-republicans-mueller-238527)** > > The Justice Department has named former FBI Director Robert Mueller to oversee the Russia investigation. After Rosenstein took over, Graham and Nunes changed course so they could keep their jobs, blaming the investigations on Democrats when talking to their electorate. Tweren’t true. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/74 "2024-01-17T20:26:05Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > If that’s the case, what she fails to understand, like most Republicans, is that most Democrats base their decisions on critical thinking **plus** the state of the world beyond their own noses and immediate, selfish needs. Most? I think about half the voters out their vote based on the R or D next to the name. > [@DesertDog](#): > > Honestly, with all the Bernie Bros sitting it out in 2016, I’d agree with the ‘most’ but it is by no means ‘all.’ Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/75 "2024-01-17T22:30:13Z")
Generally speaking the closer you get to Trump, the more you hate his guts. He’s a terrible boss: he expects loyalty and gives none. Most Republican congressional reps are sick of the drama, with the prominent exception of those who are all about messaging and clueless on policy. I don’t know whether most of the GOP caucus are exactly praying though: political professionals typically learn to accept things as they come. What about the base? Maybe 5% of registered Republicans _at most_ respect the constitution enough to want Trump’s disqualification. The remainder are jabberers. I base that number on the RCP polling average showing combined support for Christie and Hutchinson in the GOP primary at 4.1+1=5.3. In truth this is an absolute upper bound. A better approximation might be Hutchinson’s performance during the Iowa Caucus (Christie had dropped out). Ok, it’s a noisy estimate, and yeah the Iowa GOP is pretty MAGA, and sure caucus goers aren’t exactly representative, but then again we can’t be certain that all Hutchinson supporters would favor Trump’s disqualification. Anyway Hutchinson got 1/5 of a percentage point in Iowa. So maybe around 0.2% of Republicans support democracy. Five percent at most. But they are not proximate to Trump; I’m not either. For context, Gallup claims the electorate is 25% GOP, 25% Dem, and 49% independent. [https://www.axios.com/2023/04/17/poll-americans-independent-republican-democrat](https://www.axios.com/2023/04/17/poll-americans-independent-republican-democrat) ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/76 "2024-01-17T23:44:21Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Generally speaking the closer you get to Trump, the more you hate his guts. i dunno. I’m rarely even in the same time zone, and I hate him more than every other public figure I’ve ever known combined. Yes, even Aaron Rodgers. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/77 "2024-01-19T21:05:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Which is a very odd and ineffectual way to attract centrists in a country with no centrists. I don’t feel that’s true. I consider myself a centrist and I believe there are many other people like me in this country. I feel that the Republicans represent conservatives and the Democrats represent centrists and liberals. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/78 "2024-01-19T21:09:14Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > I’m rarely even in the same time zone, and I hate him more than every other public figure I’ve ever known combined. Now imagine working for Trump. Brrrrrrrr. * * * I agree that there are more centrists than commonly depicted. What’s rarer are politically engaged centrists, like I consider Little Nemo to be. (I’m not saying he’s an activist (though he could be), merely that he follows politics.) ETA: Good point below about the decline of informed a la carte politics. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/79 "2024-01-19T21:11:20Z")
By “centrists” I meant people who consider themselves between where the two parties are at the moment. Voters who really could vote for either party race by race or election by election. Which might better be termed “independents” by their voting records. I chose “centrists” purposely to call attention to the vast gulf between the parties as of today and the paucity of people who can plausibly endorse various people and policies of both sides on an _a la carte_ basis. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745/80 "2024-01-19T21:17:45Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > By “centrists” I meant people who consider themselves between where the two parties are at the moment. I think that is a bad definition of “centrist” because it implies to anyone that doesn’t know what you actually mean that one party is as far to the left as the other party is to the right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-republicans-are-secretly-praying-that-trump-will-be-disqualified/995745.md?page=5)